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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nA new study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer has unearthed an alarming statistic. <\/p>\n
It found that breast cancer cases – and deaths – in the UK are likely to rise significantly by 2050. <\/p>\n
The study predicted cases would increase by 21 per cent and deaths by a staggering 42 per cent. <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a study in Nature Medicine found that one in 20 women worldwide will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.<\/p>\n
By 2050, there will be 3.2 million new breast cancer cases globally.<\/p>\n
Around 23 per cent of breast cancer cases are thought to be preventable in the UK (obesity and excessive alcohol consumption each contribute to 8 per cent) however, ageing remains the main risk factor due to DNA damage accumulation.<\/p>\n
Women over 60 are especially at risk, so what do breast cancer specialists say about early detection, treatment, and lifestyle adjustments to help you take charge of your health?<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Breast cancer cases are predicted to rise significantly in coming years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Women with close relatives who\u2019ve been diagnosed with breast cancer are at higher risk<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cPrevent Breast Cancer estimates that around 25% of breast cancers have some genetic component,\u201d says Lester Barr, consultant breast surgeon and founder of the charity Prevent Breast Cancer. \u201cWomen with a family history of breast cancer have a higher risk of developing the disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf your mum or sister has had breast cancer, your relative risk may be double that compared to a person with no family history.\u201d<\/p>\n
Certain genes may cause this risk.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a small number of women with a particularly strong family history, the risk of breast cancer may be caused by a mutation in a high risk gene such as BRCA1\/BRCA2 or one of 10 other moderate risk genes, all of which we can now routinely test for,\u201d says Barr.<\/p>\n
So, if you have a family history of breast cancer you can ask your GP about genetic testing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis can be done on the NHS, and they\u2019ll test you for a gene panel, including BRCA,\u201d says Dr Britta Stordal, associate professor in cancer research and deputy dean in research and knowledge exchange at Middlesex University London.<\/p>\n
You might be eligible for anastrozole<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cIf post-menopausal women are confirmed to be a higher risk of breast cancer (e.g. due to family history) they may benefit from taking a medicine to decrease oestrogen (e.g. anastrozole) which may roughly half the risk of breast (IBIS-II Trial),\u201d says Mr Daniel Leff, a consultant in oncoplastic breast surgery at The Harley Street Clinic.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, the medicine can have side effects such as menopausal symptoms, joint pains and weakening of bone mineral content (osteoporosis).\u201d<\/p>\n
You can reduce your risk by keeping fit and losing weight<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>A woman hits the gym (PA)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nSome cases of breast cancer are considered preventable through lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe average woman in the UK gains a stone in weight during her adult life, which increases the risk of breast cancer by about 20%,\u201d says Barr. \u201cThe good news is that if you\u2019re overweight, losing just 5% of your weight (and keeping it off) can reduce your risk substantially \u2013 by between 25 and 40%.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrevent Breast Cancer was one of the first research groups to find that weight loss can reduce the risk of breast cancer. In our study of 34,000 women, modest weight loss was shown to reduce risk by as much as 40%.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition, an abundance of research has found that regular exercise reduces your risk of breast cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cExercise should make you breathe harder and make your heart beat faster \u2013 and you should aim for five sessions a week to help reduce your risk of breast cancer,\u201d advises Barr.<\/p>\n
Making small changes to your diet can make a big difference<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\u201cPeople who eat high levels of red meat and processed meat have an increased risk of breast cancer, as well as other cancer types,\u201d says Stordal. \u201cSo, maybe you can say, we\u2019re not going to have sausages and are going to have chicken and prawns instead, or something like that, just to cut down your processed meat consumption.\u201d<\/p>\n
Check yourself regularly<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\nCheck your breasts thoroughly once a month for any changes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWomen over 60 years should pay careful attention to changes in their breasts that may be signs of breast cancer,\u201d says Leff. \u201cThe most common sign of breast cancer is a painless lump.<\/p>\n
\u201cOther symptoms include dimpling, puckering or indrawing of the skin or nipple, unexplained redness or inflammation of the breast, and nipple discharge coming from a single point on the nipple.\u201d<\/p>\n
Go to your screening when invited<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Screenings can help detect signs early (PA)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\u201cWe recommend that women aged 60 and over get three yearly two-view mammography as part of the national breast screening programme,\u201d says Leff.<\/p>\n
\u201cScreening frequency can change based on individual factors. For example, if a women has a risk of lesion or atypical cells in the breast we often recommend yearly mammography for five years, and\/or if a women has a known high risk genetic mutation (e.g. BRCA1\/2) then the screening frequency is more regular than the general population.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more A new study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer has unearthed an alarming statistic. It found that breast cancer cases – and deaths – in the UK are likely to rise significantly by 2050. The study predicted cases would increase by 21 per cent and deaths by a staggering 42 per cent. Meanwhile, a study in Nature Medicine found that one in 20 women worldwide will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. By 2050, there will be 3.2 million new breast cancer cases globally. Around 23 per cent of breast cancer cases are thought to be preventable in the UK (obesity and excessive alcohol consumption each contribute to 8 per cent) however, ageing remains the main risk factor due to DNA damage accumulation. Women over 60 are especially at risk, so what do breast cancer specialists say about early detection, treatment, and lifestyle adjustments to help you take charge of your health? open image in gallery Breast cancer cases are predicted to rise significantly in coming years. Women with close…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9386"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9386"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9386\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}